The Denver Broncos are looking to get back to being a playoff team in 2020.
As one of the league’s more successful franchises of all-time, the Broncos are a proud team with a proud fanbase. These fans want to see the team back in the postseason, a place it hasn’t been since winning Super Bowl 50.
In the early 1990s, the Buffalo Bills were the class of the entire AFC. The team went to (and lost) four straight Super Bowls. Though the Bills have become a punchline for all of those defeats in the big game, the team is on the rise after qualifying for the playoffs last year.
What do the Bills from last season and this year’s Broncos have in common? A formula for success.
Last season, the Bills went 10-6 and finished second in the AFC East, earning a Wild Card berth. The team had an impressive second-year quarterback in Josh Allen, much like the Broncos do in Drew Lock, and the Bills are led by a defensive-minded coach in Sean McDermott, much like the Broncos have in Vic Fangio.
The Bills faced the Houston Texans on the road in the Wild Card round and had a 16-0 lead going into the fourth quarter of that game before eventually losing in overtime.
The Bills have spent years chasing Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the division. They might not have that problem anymore. The Broncos also play in a division that has a dominant team and one that could take a few years to topple.
Would Broncos fans accept a finish like the Bills had last year?
Of course, all fans want to see their team win the Super Bowl. In Denver, that is often the only goal. But a season like Buffalo had in 2019 is a realistic barometer.
The Broncos have Lock and what should be a solid rushing attack. They have enough weapons to put points on the board on offense but the defense should still be the bread and butter as long as Fangio is running things.
All of this is quite similar to the way the Bills have built their team and now, they should be looked at as a potential force in the AFC. The current version of the Broncos is not a force yet, but that could soon change.